HMCTS Weekly Operational Update - Week commencing Monday 30 August 2021

HM Courts and Tribunals Service sent this bulletin at 29-08-2021 05:00 PM BST

HMCTS weekly operational update for week commencing Monday 30 August 2021

Next week’s update will be issued on Friday 3 September 2021.

Updated: The number and location of our temporary Nightingale courts will be changing over the next weeks as we reach the end of venue-hire contracts. Salford Lowry Nightingale Court closed on Friday 27 August 2021. We are extending 32 Crown Nightingale courtrooms to the end of March 2022. A full list of Nightingale courts and additional courtrooms currently open is available via GOV.UK.
Read our latest guidance for all court and tribunal users during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reminder: We actively encourage our staff and all court users to continue with twice-weekly asymptomatic rapid testing regardless of their vaccination status. We also encourage individuals to take a free, rapid lateral flow COVID-19 test before coming to a court or tribunal. These are free and readily available in your local area, or to order online. Anyone who tests positive should self-isolate and follow the latest NHS advice.

Updated: The national roll out of Common Platform is on track to continue from Monday 6 September 2021.
Updated: We continue to prepare targeted sites for the roll out, including working with relevant police forces and evaluating progress at all existing live sites, feeding in lessons learned and continuing refinement of the support plan and adjusting the approach to roll out if necessary.
Common Platform is currently live in 101 courts (32 Crown Courts and 69 magistrates’ courts). 44% of all criminal courts are now managing cases on Common Platform.
Reminder: Defence professionals can download the Initial Details of the Prosecution Case (IDPC) directly from Common Platform, instead of requesting this from the Crown Prosecution Service. You can also upload case documents directly to Common Platform, including the Preparation for Effective Trial (PET) and Better Case Management (BCM) forms.
Reminder: Defence solicitors and barristers can use the Common Platform professional check-in feature in both the Crown Court and the magistrates’ court. This records your name against the court record for Legal Aid Agency payment purposes, and informs the judge, legal adviser or court clerk that you are in attendance. Watch our video guide to find out more.

Updated: A new feature is being rolled out to the online civil money claims (OCMC) system, which allows judges to draw direction orders digitally. Judge draws directions order (JDDO) allows judges to draw digital directions orders via OCMC for cases that are valued between £300.01 and £10,000. The feature has now been rolled out across the North East, the South East, London, and the South West regions. It went live in the Midlands region on Wednesday 25 August 2021. JDDO will be introduced to Wales and the North West region by the end of September.

On Thursday 19 August 2021 a number of improvements were made to the online probate service. Trust Corporations can now apply using MyHMCTS for a grant of probate. Other changes include the ability for probate practitioners to sign a legal statement on behalf of their client and upload them onto their application. Read our blog on recent improvements to the probate service.

Updated: As part of work to enhance our online service, solicitors and other legal professionals can now pay immigration and asylum tribunal fees quickly and easily using our Payment by Account (PBA) service via MyHMCTS. PBA provides a fast, free and secure method of payment. Information about how PBA works and how to register is available via GOV.UK. We welcome feedback via our online exit survey or via support.IA@justice.gov.uk.
We’re extending our new online immigration and asylum appeal service. If you don’t have legal representation and wish to lodge a protection or revocation of protection appeal from within the UK, you can now do this online. If you experience any issues with the online system, you can contact our helpdesk on 0300 123 1711.

The fees office at the Royal Courts of Justice is relocating. The office will now be based at the West Green Building. The appointment based system is available to book by calling 0203 936 8957.

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